Ancient dog bones found at Jamestown are rewriting history, expert says.

In 2021, a group of archaeologists made an exciting discovery while excavating the site of the Jamestown settlement in Virginia: the remains of several ancient dogs. These bones, which were found in a trash pit at the site, are shedding new light on the history of dogs in the New World and the role they played in the lives of the early colonists.

The Jamestown settlement was founded in 1607 and was the first permanent English colony in what is now the United States. It was a difficult and tumultuous time for the colonists, as they struggled to survive in an unfamiliar and often hostile environment. The discovery of the dog bones has led experts to believe that these animals played a much larger role in the lives of the early colonists than previously thought.

One of the most surprising aspects of the discovery is the age of the bones. Radiocarbon dating has shown that the bones are over 400 years old, making them some of the oldest known dog bones in the New World. This suggests that dogs were present in the Jamestown settlement from the very beginning and were not just brought over at a later date.

The bones also reveal a lot about the size and breed of the dogs at Jamestown. The majority of the bones belonged to medium-sized dogs, similar in size to modern-day retrievers. This suggests that these dogs were likely used for a variety of tasks, such as hunting and guarding the settlement.

The discovery of the dog bones at Jamestown is rewriting our understanding of the role that dogs played in the lives of the early colonists. It was previously believed that the colonists did not have much use for dogs and that they were primarily kept as pets. However, the discovery of the bones suggests that dogs played a much more practical role in the daily lives of the colonists and were essential for the survival of the settlement.

In addition to providing companionship, dogs were likely used for hunting and guarding the settlement. They may have also been used to help with farming and other tasks. The presence of dogs at Jamestown also suggests that the colonists had a more complex relationship with the indigenous people of the area than previously thought. It is possible that the colonists obtained some of their dogs from the native people, who had a long history of domesticated dogs in the region.

Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States. It was founded in 1607 in the Virginia Colony, which was one of the original colonies of the British Empire in North America. The settlement was named after King James I of England and was located on the banks of the James River.

The early years of Jamestown were difficult for the colonists. The settlement was located in a marshy area that was prone to flooding, and the colonists struggled to find food and shelter. Many of the original settlers died from disease or starvation, and the settlement nearly failed in its first year.

The discovery of the dog bones at Jamestown is an exciting one, and it has the potential to change our understanding of the early history of dogs in the New World. It is a reminder that there is still much we do not know about the lives of the early colonists and the role that dogs played in their daily lives. Further research and analysis of the bones may reveal even more insights into the history of dogs in the New World and the ways in which they impacted the lives of the early colonists.